Barcelona are still uncertain whether they will be able to use Dani Olmo in the second half of the season, as several clubs are poised to take advantage of the situation.
AC Milan are reportedly attempting to outmaneuver Arsenal and Manchester City in their pursuit of Olmo. The Spanish international returned to Barcelona from RB Leipzig in the summer, rejoining the club where he spent his youth. However, La Liga’s wage restrictions put Barcelona at risk of being unable to register him for the latter part of the campaign.
La Liga’s rules allow exemptions for players replacing those out with long-term injuries. This enabled Barcelona to field Olmo and Pau Víctor earlier this season while Ronald Araújo and Andreas Christensen were sidelined. However, the club must meet new registration requirements for the second half of the season, which they have so far failed to do.
Arsenal and Manchester City are admirers of Olmo and have been linked with opportunistic moves to acquire him without a transfer fee. Meanwhile, Milan are reportedly exploring a short-term deal. According to reports (via Football España), Milan acknowledge Olmo’s preference to remain at Barcelona, where he has a contract until 2030 and has performed well under Hansi Flick.
Milan are said to be offering to match Olmo’s Barcelona wages for a six-month loan, after which he would return to Catalunya with hopes of rejoining the starting lineup next season. Olmo scored five goals in 11 La Liga appearances before an injury disrupted his strong start. He also netted his first Champions League goal for Barcelona in a November win over Brest and was part of Spain’s Euro 2024-winning squad.
Barcelona have been seeking additional revenue to meet La Liga’s financial rules, including selling VIP seats, reportedly securing a multi-million-pound deal in January. However, their recent attempt to register Olmo and Pau Víctor was rejected by La Liga and the Spanish FA, prompting the club to take legal action.
Neither player featured in Barcelona’s recent Copa del Rey victory over UD Barbastro. In the match, Robert Lewandowski scored twice, while Eric García and Pablo Torre also found the net in a 4-0 win. Goalkeeper Wojciech Szczęsny, who joined earlier this season, made his debut.
It remains unclear whether Barcelona will succeed in resolving the registration issues to retain Olmo’s services for the rest of the season.
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